How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Car?

You likely have heard of the various charging methods for your electric vehicle, from plugs to ports, Level 1, Level 2, and more. However, Visalia EV drivers will be excited about the availability of charging adapters as they won’t have to be tied down to a specific method. Nonetheless, you’re likely wondering “How long does it take to charge an electric car?” Well, this depends on your decision on the method as well as the type, make, and model of your EV. Let’s dive into what methods will give you your ideal electric car charging time with BMW Fresno. Then, come explore the 2022 BMW iX or 2022 BMW i4 in our Fresno dealership!

What Electric Car Charging Methods Are There?

Your electric vehicle will be equipped with a different battery pack than that of your Madera neighbors. That being said, there is a level of variability to the charging time of your vehicle and not a one-size-fits-all. There are three main types of charging- domestic, rapid domestic, and public- which will help you narrow down your charging times.

Electric Car Charging Time by Charger Type

1. Domestic Outlet Home Charging (Regular Outlet): A normal grounded (three-prong) 110V/120V charging outlet (Level 1 Charging) won’t be fast by any means, but can be a reliable source for topping off after your daily commute. It can take around 24 hours or more to achieve a full charge. In reality, this means it could take days, not hours, to charge with this method.
2. Installed Brand-Approved Domestic Charging: Level 2 Charging requires professional installation at your home. Level 2 charging is typically a 240V+ charger and will be designed for your brand of car, providing significantly faster charging rates than Level 1 Charging. In just a few hours, you should be able to achieve a full charge. DC fast chargers (as opposed to AC ones) are also common. It’s commonly heard of to acquire 80% charge in half an hour or forty minutes with this type of charging method. However, the last 20% will take longer with the diminishing rate of charging speed as well.
3. Public Charging: In Madera parking garages, lots, grocery stores, malls, and more you can find public charging stations. These will vary in type and speed, but they frequently provide Level 2 charging speeds. Some public charging stations even offer emissions-free renewable energy charging with solar panels or wind turbines.

Electric Car Charging Time: Domestic Charging

Depending on the level you choose, the charging time of your vehicle will differ:

• Level 1 EV can take days to achieve a full charge.
• Level 2 EV charging usually takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. You can often get between 60-200 miles of range in just 20-30 minutes, though. For this reason, most people intermix daytime “top-off” charging with overnight charging. When you’re driving behind an EV with impressive range like the new BMW iX, you will be able to go far in one full charge!

Typical Public Charging Electric Car Charging Time

Typical home chargers will offer 3.7 kW or 7 kW charging. Public stations, on the other hand, can reach 22 kW charging, 43-50 kW rapid charging, and 150 kW rapid charging. As a result, for some applicable vehicles, you could get a full charge in an hour or so. In other cases, it could take 4 hours, 6 hours, or 11 hours for a full charge. The BMW wallbox, provided with the iX, will give you a full charge in 12 hours and comes with an adapting charger to help you charge up on the go.

Get Your Next EV Near Merced

After exploring the benefits of electric vehicles and the charging times for various methods with BMW Fresno, stop by for a visit! Take one of our EVs out for a test drive in Fresno today. Contact us to schedule an appointment!